Chris Price - Painting

Chris Price

Name:  ChrisPrice
City/State:  Burnsville, MN
Email:  cp@cpricegallery.com
Website:  www.cpricegallery.com
MNartist.org profile: Chris Price - http://mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=37792
Facebook page:  Chris Price Gallery 

Bio~

Chris Price has been a participating artist in the Twin Cities for many years.  Price discovered his creative passion while growing up in Fridley, MN and pursued artistic skills while attending Gustavus Adolphus moreover receiving a degree in Studio Art and minor in Art History.  Shortly after graduation, he traveled through Europe visiting many of the museums that were part of his college curriculum.  The biggest influence came from visiting the hometown and museum of surrealist painter Salvador Dali in Spain.  

Price has since taken a few classes at The Atelier in Minneapolis where he has studied the realist approach to depicting the human form.  He has used his learned skills by completing numerous commissions and participated in many group art shows around the Twin Cities, as well as, on the internet.

Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?  

My work is rather random as I create whatever may come to mind.  I seldom create works as a series within a given time.  As I work on many pieces at the same, my goals and style remain the same.  Within any painting, I try to paint in a realist manor as if my imaginary atmospheres do actually exist.  Currently, I am working on a final painting for my piece titled HopSaas.  The color study I created for this piece is currently featured with Altered Esthetics’ April show Brewers Craft.  Is this different from past work?  No, in my sense of style.  Yes, in my approach to creating the painting.  I still have a lot to learn in the world of oil paint and I feel it is important to experiment with the creative process. 

How did you decide to become an artist?  

Drawing was something I always did as a child.  I was more than content sitting at my desk and sketching for hours.  I was always encouraged to pursue the craft by the people around me and after my first failed effort at a collegiate major, I asked myself, why fight it?  I should pursue the arts.  It wasn’t until my trip to Europe after college that I really felt that it was something I needed to do.    

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?  

I’m not sure if I would call it advice or criticism, as my college professors once told me, “If you put as much effort into your art as you do your swimming career, it would be extraordinary.”  I believe any artist just needs to keep creating and not be afraid of failure.  Overall, any artist should be creating for themselves first.  Sometimes the best advice could be a good kick in the butt.    

Many artists struggle to find ways to sell their art. How do you sell your work? How do you market yourself?  

I am probably the last person to give advice on how to sell art work.  I have a tab on my website, www.cpricegallery.com, linked with PayPal.  I also try to get my work into shows, competitions, and galleries.  My best sales have come from commissions, which have then spread by word of mouth. 

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?
   

There aren’t many specific Minnesotan artists I follow…most are out of state.  When I do see these artists, I know I’ll enjoy seeing:

Bruce Nygren - http://flandersart.com/?page_id=199

Nicholas Harper - http://www.roguebuddha.com/artists/nicharper.html#

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see? 

The MIA, The Atelier, and the Jean Stephens Gallery.

-     At the MIA (http://artsmia.org/), we would tour the entire third level of paintings and possible the Target gallery…depending on the show.  I have many favorite paintings from Karl-Ernest-Rodolphe-Heinrich-Salem Lehmann’s Calypso and Johann Georg Platzer’s The Pleasures of the Seasons series to Jean-Leon Gerome’s The Carpet Merchant, Yves Tanguy’s Reply to Red, and many other works in between.

-    The Atelier (http://theatelier.org/), we would see work by Richard Lack and his pupils.  All of the works by the students are wonderful teaching tools. The Jean Stephens Gallery (http://www.jeanstephengalleries.com), we would see works by Michael Parkes and Dr. Seuss to gain imaginary inspiration. 

Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future?  I am a part of the Brewer's Craft show at Altered Esthetics this April (Reception: 4/5/13 from 7pm-10pm.  Artist Talk Saturday 4/13 1-3pm).

I’m scheduled to have my work hang in Pizza Luce (the Seward location) for the month of May. 

Altered Esthetics Featured Artist

Brewer's Craft Exhibit Details

Ae Profile on LAI

Chris Price

Image List:

1.  HopSaas – Color Study, 14” x 18”, watercolor and graphite, 2012

2.  Ascension, 24” x 36”, oil on canvas, 2012

3.   Flag Unfurled, 38” x 24”, oil pastel, 2012

4.  A Morning In Mushroom Kingdom, 18” x 36”, oil on canvas, 2012

5.  The Interruption, 12” x 12”, oil on canvas, 2011

6.  Evolution Fishing, 36” x 24”, oil on canvas, 2010
7. Image of artist – it’s me!

What Was the Best Advice Given to You as an Artist? #6

"What was the best advice given to you as an artist?"

All of the responses are taken from the 175+ interviews archived on 

www.Local-Artist-Interviews.com.

"What was the best advice given to you as an artist?"

To follow my heart and do what I feel most passionate about, even if it’s unconventional. To not worry about what others might think. To feel confident in anything I create.

Mia Malone Jennings (Interview)

Taking a chance and having it end in disaster is always better than playing it safe…which is fairly easy advice to follow especially since not taking chances with your work can also end in disaster.

Alison Hiltner (Interview)

The best advice was probably from Robert Colescott who did some

studio visits at MCAD (Minneapolis College of Art and Design) when he

had a show at the Walker several years ago. He said to look for what

"was working" in a painting. In our critiques at school we always

picked out what "wasn't working" in someone's work but its hard to know

what's working if your always looking for what isn't. It opened my

eyes to another way to approach my work. If you concentrate on what

is working, what is not working will fix itself.

Tom Riggle (Interview)

I don’t remember a specific quote or anything, but over time I’ve learned to just keep making work no matter what—to keep some sense of momentum in the studio and to keep asking questions. I think I learned that indirectly from past teachers and other artists/friends. I’m confident that one idea will always lead me to another if I let it happen.

Peter Happel Christian (Interview)

Work, work, work and the work will tell you, what it’s about.

Ute Bertog (Interview)